Liquid dispensing apparatus



Aug. 9, 1932. w. H. DE LANCEY LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

1932- w. H. DE LANCEY 1,870,899

L IQUID DISPENS ING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2JNVENTOR. MRREN H. 05 LANCE) @012 Jr 7434! ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 9, 19 32 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARREN DE LAN CEY, FSPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GILBERT & BARKER MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Applicationfiled October 20, 1930. Serial No. 489,921.

at present widely used, includes some form of power operated pumpingmeans which, when once started, will operate continuously until stoppedand deliver without any interruption in flow, any desired quantity ofgasoline. Speedy delivery is the aim. The operator has nothing to do butinsert the hose nozzle in the tank to be filled, open the valve in thenozzle at the discharge end of the hose, and let the stream of gasolineflow until the tank is filled to the desired extent, when the flow iscut off by closing the nozzle valve.

There are certain fire hazards in such an arrangement. The power pump isstarted by a control near the intake end of the hose, when the operatorpicks up the hose nozzle preparatory to a filling operation. During suchoperation, the operator stands at a distance from the pump and cannotoperate the control. Should the hose break, gasoline would be dischargednear the pump and if the gasoline takes fire, the operator might not beable to reach the control to stop the pumping. It has also been urgedthat there is the danger that the hose might be torn from the pump, iffor example the automobile is driven ofi before the hose nozzle isremoved from the tank. Either continl gency mentloned would result in astream of gasoline being discharged on the ground adjacent the pump andcreate a serious fire hazard.

This invention has for its object the provisidn of safety mechanism toguard against the above and other fire hazards. I

This and other objects will appear. as the detailed description proceedsand will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 .is a small scale elevational view, partly insection, of a gasoline dispensing apparatus embodying the invention;

taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

.nozzle to open the valve.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view Fig. 3 is a plan view withparts broken away, of the safety switch mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view thereof with the cover removed toreveal interior mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view taken similarly to Fig. 4 but showing the parts as theywould appear after the switch has been opened by the safety mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1 of these drawings; the dispensing apparatuscomprises a suitable pump 10 for drawing liquid from an undergroundsupply tank through a pipe shown in part at 11 and for expelling itthrough a delivery conduit comprising fixed pipes 12 and 13, and aflexible hose 14. A suitable meter, such as a flow meter 15, isinterposed between pipes 12 and 13 to measure the quantities dispensed.The pump 10 is driven by an electric motor 16 and this motor iscontrolled by a handle 17 and means later to be described in detail. Thehose 14 has at its discharge end a valved hose nozzle 18 of the wellknown self closing type with an operating lever 19, adapted when pressedtoward the body of the Control of the liquid dispensed is thus at thedischarge end of the hose although the operator has to start the motorby moving handle 17 prior to the dispensing operation. 1

The nozzle 18, when not in use, is hung up by its guard 20 from a fixedsupport 21, mounted adjacent handle 17. This support 21 does notinterfere with movement of the handle from off to on position but the Iguard 20, when placed on the support, proects into the path of movementpf the handle and prevents movement of the same from ofi to on position.If the handle is in I on position (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2), theguard cannot be placed on the sup- .port until the handle is first movedto the Arrangement is made for locking the nozzle 18 to its support 21and incidentally looking the nozzle valve lever 19 against movement. Forexample, such lever, when in closed position lies adjacent a lug 22 onsupport 21. These parts 19 and 22 are in side by side andnon-interfering relation but have registering holes, such as 23, bymeans of which they may be pad-locked together. By thus lockmg theparts, the lever 17 is held against movement such as to open the nozzlevalve and the guard 20 is prevented from being lifted off its support;

The motor, pump and meter are usually housed in a suitable casing, suchas 24; while the hose 14, its nozzle 18, handle 17 and support 21 lieoutside the casing. This casing has anopening to reveal the dial 25 ofthe meter. The motor pump and meter may be supported within housing 24in any suitable manner. As shown, there are within the housing fourupstanding pipe column sup-' ports 26. The motor 16 and pump 10 aremounted on a common frame 27 and this frame is secured as indicated totwo of the supports 26. The meter 15 is supported by plates 28, bcltedas indicated in Fig. 1, to angle irons 29. These angle irons are clampedto the supports 26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Bolted to one of theangle irons 29 is a bar 30, serving as will appear, as a support for themotor switch.

The motor switch is contained within a box 35, secured by cap screws 36to bar and having a removable cover plate 37 to allow access-to theinterior mechanism. The support 21 is secured, as indicated in Fig. 1,

to s. pair of bosses 38 formed on this box 35.

The box also affords a bearing for a shaft 39 40 to which handle 17 isfixed. Shaft 39 terminates just inside box and has fixed to its innerend an arm carrying a roll 41. The switch is of the push button type,its body being indicated at 42 and the push button at 43. The switch isof the self opening type and continued pressure on the push button isrequired to hold the switch closed. The button 43 is shown in onposition in Fig. 4 and in .ofi position in Fig. 6. The button is held inon position by the roll 41 and an intervening bellcrank 45. The latter,pivoted at 46 to the back wall of box 35 has an upstanding arm engagedby roll 41 and a horizontally extending arm which engages the pushbutton by means of an adjustable abutment 47 thereon. The switchincludes a plate 49 which is secured by screws 50to an angle iron 51which in turn is secured by screws 52 to the rear wall of box 35. Fixedstops 53 and 54 on said wall limit the movement of arm 40 and define itson and ofi' positions respectively. Movement of handle 17 in a clockwisedirection until arrested by the abutment of arm 40 with stop 54 willallow the upstanding arm of bellcrank 45 to swing to the left and itshorizontal arm to be lowered by the push button 43. Movement of handle17 back into the illustrated position will cause roll 41 to force thebellcrank 45 to turn in a clockwise direction and cause its horizontalarm to press the push button 43 into on position and hold it there byreason of the roll riding into a recess in the upstanding arm of thebellcrank. The switch, thus far described, is of a known type.

A feature of the invention is the provision of automatic means, whichare releasable in case of fire adjacent the pump, for causing the switchto open. A lever 55, pivoted at 56 to the rear wall of box 35, overliesroll 41 and is drawn downwardly toward the same by a spring 57. Thespring is restrained from moving lever downwardly beyond the positionillustrated, by a rod58 which underlies the free end of the lever. Thisrod is slidably mounted in a bearing provided in a boss 59 on the rearwall of'box 35. The inner end of the rod normally projects into box 35far enough to restrain movement of lever 55. The outer end of the rodhas fixed thereto a collar 60 and a coil spring 61, which encompassesthe rod, acts between the outer end face of boss 59 and collar 60,tending to withdraw rod 58 from its underlying relation with lever 55.Such action of the spring is restrained by a fusible link 63 whichinterconnects a pin 64 oncollar 60 and a pin 65 fixed to boss 59. Onrupture of the link 63, spring 61 will withdraw rod 58 from beneathlever 55 and spring 57 will then draw this lever downwardly, causingroll 41, arm 40 and handle 17 to move automatically into their offpositions and allowing the push button 43 to move to off position.

The link, spring 61 and the outer end of rod 58 are preferably housedin. As shown, a tubular housing 67, having a closed outer end is slippedover boss 59 as shown and suitably held thereto. The under side of thishousing is provided with severalslots 68 to facilitate the access ofheat or flame to the fusible link.

As will be understood, the switch 42 is suitably connected in circuitwith the motor 16- and a source of electrical supply,the wirescomprising such circuit being housed in conduits 7 0.

. In the normal inactive condition of the dispensing apparatus, the hosenozzle 18 is hung up on its support 21 and this means that the controlhandle 17 must be in off position and the motor switch open. When liquidis to be dispensed, the operator removes the nozzle from support 21 andthen throws handle 17 to on position to close the switch and start themotor driven pum The nozzle is then carried to and inserted 1n the tankto be filled and the flow of gasoline is controlled by the valve in thenozzle. Should the hose break, leakor be-torn away 'paratus, while theoperator is stationed at from the apthe nozzle end of the hose, causinggasoline to be discharged around the pump, the operator can readily stopthe motor and thus the pumping, provided that he can reach handle 17.Should the leaking gasoline take fire or should there be fire from anyother cause in the immediate vicinity of the pump so that the operatoris prevented from reaching handle 17, this handle will be automaticallymoved by the spring actuated lever 55, when the latter is released bythe melting of link 65. Although not limited thereto, the link isdesigned to melt at about 180 degrees Fahr., and the safety mechanismwill thus readily respond even to a small fire if in the immediatevicinity of the apparatus.

While the invention contemplates broadly a safety switch which will openautomatically by means responsive to abnormal heatin' the immediatevicinity of the dispensing ap-' paratus, it is deemed preferable,although not necessarily essential for all purposes, to combine thesafet provisions with the usual motor control swltch rather than toprovide a separate switch unit as the safety device. Aside from thesavings in cost of material, assembly of parts and wiring incident tothe preferred arrangement, there is the important advantage that theapparatus is not rendered wholly inoperative by rupture of the fusiblelink. One can still operate the pump by manipulating the handle 17,although it will be necessary for someone to hold the handle in' onposition. Otherwise, the spring 57 will move the handle to off position.Until the fusible link is replaced to hold rod 58 in position to preventmovement of lever 55, the switch will stay open unless' manually heldclosed. Thus, operation of the apparatus can be effected-in an emergencyeven though a new fusible link is not immediately available to replacethe ruptured one. However, the emergency operation requires an extraoperator to be stationed at the handle 17 so that such operation isconducted only under due precaution. The nuisance of having an extraoperator for the purpose of operating handle 17 will compel earlyattention to the matter of replacing the fusible link. The invention hasbeen disclosed herein in an embodiment at present preferred for thepurpose of illustration, but it is desired to claim the invention asbroadly as the state of the prior art will permit.

What I claim is: p

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid delivery line,-poweroperated pumping means to force liquid through said line, means formeasuring the liquid forced through said line, a normal control membermanually movable from one position to another to start and stop saidpower operated sive to abnormal rise in temperature adjastop saidpower-operated means.

2. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a 7 liquid delivery l.ine,a pumpfor forcing liquid through said line, an electric motor for driving thepump, means for measuring theliquid forced through said line, a manuallyoperated switch effective for normal use in start- 7 ing and stoppingthe motor, normally restrained means effective when released toautomatically open the switch, and means including a fusible connectionfor normally restraining the last named means and for releasing the samefor action in the event of abnormal rise in temperature adjacent theapparatus.

3. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid delivery line terminatingin a flexible hose, an electrically operated means for forcing liquidthrough said line, means for measuring the liquid forced through saidline, a normal control means adjacent the inlet end of said hose forstarting and stopping said electrically operated means and therebycontrolling the delivery of liquid through said line, and a heatresponsive safety device adjacent said control means for moving the sameto stop the electrically operated means in the event of abnormal rise intemperature adjacent the apparatus.

4. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid delivery line terminatingin a flexible hose, an electrically operated means for forcing liquidthrough said line, means'for measuring the liquid forced through saidline, a switch in the circuit of said electrically operated meanstending to move to open position a manually operated lever for operatingsai switch, means effective when the switch is moved to closed positionto hold it there until moved back to open position by said lever, aspring actuated member, and means including a fusible link for normallyrestraining said member from movement, said member effective whenreleased by the breaking of the link to release the aforesaid switchholding means and allow the switch to open if not means and therebycontrol the delivery of already thus positioned.

' In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WARREN H. DE LANCEY.

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